Cadet TTO-15 Review Pros: Low price, highly effective, good finish, hefty weight Cons: Awkward TTO turning, large head Price: 10 Quality: 9 User Friendly: 8 Grip: 10 Ease of Blade Replacement: 10 Aggressiveness: 5 Adjustability: N/A Balance:9 Overall Rating: 8.5 Would I recommend: Yes This is the first TTO that I have that is not a Gillette, so I was not sure what to expect. This is a big razor, much larger in size and weight than any TTO that I have owned before. Unlike previous reviews, I will list the negatives before the positives. What I found odd was the way the TTO mechanism operates, instead of turning a knob, you must twist the complete handle. This is not a big deal, but you must hold the top "barber pole" while turning, just slightly odd for those use to using a Gillette. The head design is larger in size than any Gillette that I have owned, making it slightly less maneuverable under your nose. Now the good news....this is a great razor! Fit and finish are excellent, no signs of machining, buffing flaws, or sloppy plating. The knurling on the barber shop pole handle provides a slip free grip no matter how much water or lather may be on your hands. The weight of the solid brass handle combined with the 4 inch length makes it a joy to hold. The balance is very good, with the center of gravity being about half an inch below the head. Blade gap measures .81mm, making it about as aggressive as a Slim Adjustable on 5, and slightly more than the R89/DE89 head. The TTO mechanism operates smoothly and closes without any unevenness. I find this razor a joy to use. I would recommend this razor to any new wet shaver looking to find an easy to use modern TTO.
It's always fun reading reviews on products. I probably won't get it because I have 5 razors and only use 1 at the moment.
A good review thanks! Looks a very decent bit of kit. I just would like to know if someone finally put a foolproof lock facility on their razor like the Gillette TTO's have..?
Thank you for yet another great and very useful review, Arley. However, I must admit, an accomplished enabler you are for sure Please excuse me while I'm off to the shave-a-buck site. Buy, I want. Resist, I must.....
Only the Fatboy, Slim, and Super Adjustable feature that quarter turn locking mechanism. As far as I know, it's never been repeated on any other razors.
The regular TTO's also have a lock down of sorts..ie there is a limit to how much you can turn the knob when tightening.. and this will prevent going too far and stripping the threads, which is a common issue in Parker TTO's, where there's no such preventive measure built in... Edit: you might want to be careful testing for this because if there is no such limiter on the razor, you could strip the threads. If it's not going to be a hassle, perhaps asking the vendor...
All the Super Speeds I've tried always feel like I could tighten further if I wanted...The Senator has a very definite stop, which I dig....and the Gillette adjustables have that 1/4 turn lock-down which I dig aswell...
